Hauwei delays launch of Mate X smartphone with foldable screen, cites quality assurance-based reasons

Foldable screens are en route, but they may be a while yet in arriving.

Huawei on Friday confirmed that the company is delaying the launch of its Mate X foldable smartphone from June to September given quality assurance purposes.

A spokesperson for Huawei said the Chinese smartphone maker is being more “cautious” after some reviewers experienced embarrassing display issues with Samsung’s foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold. “We don’t want to launch a product to destroy our reputation.”

Samsung somewhat infamously delayed the launch of its Galaxy Fold smartphone in April, stating that it plans to announce a new release date “in the coming weeks.” 

Last month, the Trump administration added Huawei to a trade blacklist over alleged national security concerns, effectively forbidding U.S. companies from doing business with the Chinese smartphone and telecom giant, but a Huawei executive said that supply chain issues are not behind the delay. 

Huawei is instead postponing sales of the Mate X in part to improve the quality of the device’s folding screen, said Vincent Peng, a senior vice president at Huawei, on the sidelines of a Wall Street Journal tech conference in Hong Kong. 

It’s unknown as to whether Apple will ever release a folding iPhone, albeit the company has already explored the idea through patents. The technology also arrives at a premium price, as Huawei’s Mate X is expected to start at $2,600 in the United States.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via MacRumors and CNET